Donna Bruno: Calling Pell a politician diminishes his stature

Monday

Nov 25, 2013 at 12:01 AM

My father was the first in his immigrant family to graduate from college (Providence College). Throughout the 1950s and ’60s he was active in politics, seeking the nomination for lieutenant governor and...

By Donna Bruno

My father was the first in his immigrant family to graduate from college (Providence College). Throughout the 1950s and ’60s he was active in politics, seeking the nomination for lieutenant governor and serving as assistant director of Correctional Services at times during those years.

In addition, during the Eisenhower administration, he headed the Baseball for Europe program, procuring the baseball legend Yogi Berra as America’s representative. Its purpose was to foster good relations between Europe and the United States in the years following World War II. For this work he was twice awarded the Star of Solidarity by the Italian government.

As a result of these activities, he came to know Sen. Claiborne Pell (D-R.I.) — born Nov. 22, 1918 — personally and had great respect for him. I was a youngster at the time with no awareness of government business, but I did sense that in my family Pell was a sort of hero. For all I knew, he might have been in the same category as Superman, whom my sister and I eagerly watched on our 1950s Zenith TV.

Although at that age I was oblivious of Senator Pell’s identity or accomplishments, I did sense that he was revered on a level far above other politicians at that time. Actually, even then I knew that to even associate the word “politician” with him was inappropriate, almost a diminution of his stature.

Now I realize what my father knew at that time — that he was a true statesman, a leader without peer. I have just recently completed G. Wayne Miller’s “An Uncommon Man: The Life and Times of Claiborne Pell” and now better understand why my father so admired Senator Pell.

I have been aware of his sponsoring the Pell Grants to better enable the children of lower and middle-class families to attend college, a hard-earned achievement my father knew only too well from his own experience.

But I knew little of Pell’s other significant contributions, including efforts to create the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the National Endowment for the Humanities. Nor was I much aware of his push for high-speed rail or the Seabed Treaty or the Clean Air and Water Act.

Having now read Miller’s book, I am much more cognizant of why my father held Pell in such high esteem. He was a gentleman, well-bred in every sense of the term, civil and respectful in all his dealings, well-traveled, well-informed, well-educated.

From Miller’s book I was amazed to learn that, between the ages of 6 and 8, his reading list included “The Story of the Bible,” “The Life of Christ,” “The Story of Mankind,” “Tales of Shakespeare,” “The Iliad,” “The Odyssey,” and some of Dickens’s novels!

Not only did his parents ensure that his reading material matched his intellect, but I was also so very impressed by their devotion to the development of his character and integrity from the earliest age. The letters between Pell and both his parents reveal a deep and abiding love — so strong as to be almost palpable — beautiful, tender, precious! These letters speak volumes.

Despite his wealth and aristocratic background, he had developed a strong sense of social justice; and from his position early in his career as vice-consul at the American Embassy in Czechoslovakia where he had to determine whether foreigners applying for visas received them, he became interested in the plight of the immigrant. This lasted a lifetime.

Rhode Islanders were wise to recognize his worth and uniqueness early on and retain him from l961 to l997. He was not known for his eloquence, but for his tireless efforts devoted to what mattered most: civil rights, education and housing, the minimum wage and job training. Both white- and blue-collar Rhode Islanders knew he was their champion. As was said of Shakespeare, “He was not of an age, but for all time.”

Donna Bruno writes from Bristol.

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